BLAZER SMILES AFTER STONE FACED WIN

Blazer smiles came out after a win over Toronto, a game played in Florida.

Enes Kanter may have started early when he posted this on twitter with a caption of “Focus on the Jersey.”

He’s got a great smile, but more on that later.

During the era of Damian Lillard on the Portland Trail Blazers other players seem to take his lead with regard to putting on their Game Face.

Their’s is an expression of stone cold competition with Lillard’s face leading the way.

This is a player who came to Portland in the draft and showed the rest of the league what can happen with a team that backs the best player.

All Lillard does is check his emotions for the good of the game. On bad calls he responds with decency instead of the sort of tantrum that passes for unhappy.

Too many NBA guys get the same call from a ref and melt down like ice cream dropped on a hot sidewalk. That ice cream cone would have been great, but it’s an ice cream cone and a grown man in front of a national audience should know better.

Lillard takes the foul, has a moment of discussion with the refs, and plays on. In other words, a professional basketball player, not a drama major.

Lillard Influences Blazer Smiles

Sharp players understand the rules when starting with a new team: Look the biggest success in the company and follow their lead.

With Dame Time charging through the Blazer record book, if not the NBA record book, he has turned into the Top Blazer.

With a nod to Bill Walton and Clyde Drexler, Lillard has taken it upon himself to set an example others are wise to follow. And they do.

With his locked down emotions and inspirational play, Lillard gives a reason to believe something good is about go happen in every game.

Down a score late with time running out? The game slipping away at the end? Like a good fireman, Lillard douses the flames and seals the win. He’s done it often enough that it’s rubbed off on teammates.

Last night CJ McCollum took over in a tight one. Instead of Lillard, CJ had the spotlight with the sort of one on one play everyone wants on their highlight tape.

The best highlight was CJ defending at the end and swatting a shot attempt away like the second coming Dikembe Mutombo. All that was missing from his mean-mug was a “No, No, No,” and a wagging finger.

Then he saw someone and showed one of many Blazer smiles to come.

Then It Came Down To Free Throws

Portland Trail Blazer vs Toronto Raptors was the first time traded players competed against each other. Toronto had Gary Trent and Rodney Hood from Portland; Blazers had Norman Powell from Toronto.

A high 80% foul shooter, Powell missed two when it mattered. It mattered to him, too. After his second miss he walked away tugging at the neck of his jersey, ripping it at the seams.

As angry as he was, he still listened to Lillard on the walk instead of sinking further into failure despair.

Did anyone suspect the new guy was giving his old team a present? When they fouled him soon after he canned one, then the other. No special delivery for Toronto/Florida.

Down the final stretch Portland in-bounded the ball with 5.9 seconds left and a slim lead. Toronto steals it, but steps out of bounds. Portland ball.

In a road game with a built in excuse of three consecutive games in Florida, the Blazers wouldn’t let it go. Toronto fouled Lillard with 4.8 seconds left. He sinks them both.

Then to show what kind of a pro he is, on the last possession of the game former Raptor Norman Powell flew through the air for a steal like it was the last seconds of his last game ever and he wanted to go out big. Instead of making the career move and avoid injury, he did what the greats are remembered for.

He cared for the game.

After The Last Whistle

With the game over, sportsmanship took over.

Players and coaches mingled on the floor. It was bittersweet moment of emotional tenderness for the stone faced Blazers.

In a league where the stars can command the ball at the end of games and sit in the chair for every post-game interview, Lillard showed the kind of teammate, the kind of leader, the kind of person, he is.

CJ took over down the stretch, Lillard made the final free throws, and Robert Covington took the interview chair with the stone face he shares with the rest of the team. The interview included words to the wise for anyone looking.

“What do you credit this win to?”

“We stay locked into the routine that separates us from the pack.”

It struck me because it was a similar answer given by writer T.C. Boyle: “I stay to the same routine that keeps the work moving forward.”

How has it been working for Boyle? He’s been major league since the seventies.

RoCo answered questions about getting traded and playing against the former team. His was Houston. He’s a good match with Lillard in Portland, another under-appreciated player rising up.

Was it sad seeing traded players? Yes, sad. Will they have success with their new team? Yes, they will.

Then he said a wonderful thing that went something like: “They are good players on a good team, just not good enough tonight.”

Then he showed a smile that said one thing: SCOREBOARD. It was one of the Blazer smiles that lit the Florida night.

Enes Kanter inspired one fan to Focus On The Jersey. He might be starting a Portland Trail Blazer trend? I’m focusing.

Where’s your focus, Blazer fans?